2010…yep, it’s here.

Welcome back….

This is a great time for reflection before busting out of the gate in 2010 after the long holiday weekend that approaches.

Thinking back, what was it that you wanted to accomplish but never quite got around to this year?  If you’re like most, you can regret it and make excuses as to why you didn’t get it done.

OR do something about it regardless of the date.

New Year Resolutioners will hit the ground running hard chasing the ideal body image again, “as usual”, in January.  Mostly, they’re chasing change and betterment that the psyche yearns for disguised as a weight loss program.

Some will succeed wonderfully, in a healthy way.  Others will forego the change of lifestyle required to bring health and balance into life and choose a quick fix methodology.  And, some will skip it all together and hate themselves for not choosing one or the other.

What about you?

Are you in it for the long haul?

Do you wanna be in it for the long haul and make that lifestyle change, but think you can’t because you have knee pain?

Do you believe your knee pain is preventing you from finally moving your body again and shedding a few pounds?

I’m here to tell you that you have options.

You don’t have to put yourself in a corner thinking knee pain ended any hopes of you living a healthy life that includes exercise, doing the things you enjoy and living life to the fullest.

Lets see…I may be mistaken so correct me if I’m wrong.

Does knee pain prevent you from eating healthy?

Does knee pain prevent you from exercising the rest of your body even when the pain’s at it’s worst and untreatable?

Does knee pain prevent you from laughing with your friends when you get together?

Does knee pain prevent you from getting creative and finding a way to do the things you love most?

It’s likely the answers are a resounding NO for most.

Look, if you have knee pain you can choose to make the effort and do something about it,  like using the LoseTheKneePain proven workouts to reduce or eliminate knee pain all together.  Or, you can sit and struggle with regret uncomfortably in your rocking chair.

The choice is yours.

Know one thing…I’m here to help if you want it.

Make the effort and reap the rewards.  A life full of options is easier on the psyche than a mind filled with thoughts of regret.

To help you out and get you started here’s a quick workout that’ll  build your confidence so can begin to see you can move your body without knee pain repercussions and feel great about taking charge of your life again.

I Resolve To Take My First Step Workout

Push ups 6-10 reps

Stick Dead Lift 10-15 reps

Side Plank 30 seconds each side

Stair Step Ups 6-10 each leg

Repeat 1-2 more times

This workout may seem like a mountain or a mole hill.  Either way it’s change.

Do what you can and best today’s effort next time.

Regardless of who you are, do this workout and you’ll reap the benefits of psychological and physical change and awareness…guaranteed.

All of the exercises in today’s workout can be found by signing up for your free “getting started” video right up there at the top right hand corner.

Go there and sign up now.

Create the change you desire.

Don’t wait!!!!

Download the video now before you need space to regret one more thing you wish you would have done.

I’ll be here to help…you can count on it.

Be vigilant,

Rochelle Gravance

Happy post holiday week to you…

Lets get right to it.  If you’re a runner and you experience knee pain, you are not alone.

Though many runners experience either hip, low back or foot pain as a result of the countless miles spent on the pavement or trail, knee pain can also be a common ailment.

Remember, the knee sits between two inherent mobile joints in the hip and the ankle.  With much repetitive movement, such as running, and a lack of balanced strength and flexibility, those mobile joints can become tight and inflexible.  This is a tremendous strain on the knee joint.

To combat the miles, runners will benefit greatly from a well designed foam rolling, stretching and strength training program.  Check out LoseTheKneePain.com for programs that provide all the strength, flexibility and stability to get you back on track and prevent injury from occurring again.  Preventative measures are always the best medicine.

In addition to repetitive overuse and muscle imbalances, there are some other factors to think about that may be causing pain.

If you’ve ever been told you have one leg longer than the other then you may already know this can lead to possible problems in one or both knees.

If you haven’t experienced knee pain and you have been told you have one leg that’s a bit longer than it’s counterpart, not to worry.  Most of us are born with a slight difference in leg length.  If the difference is less than 1/2 inch, it’s likely you’ll go through life without any problems as long as the body stays strong, flexible and healthy.

If the difference is more than a half inch and you are experiencing knee pain, then this is something to take a look at.  What’s most important is that we look at all the possible causes of this discrepancy.

You may have been born with an uneven anatomy as many of us are.  OR, you may have caused the unevenness through the activities you take part in or a lack thereof.

Let me explain:

We are all dominant on one side of our bodies.  If we don’t counteract this dominance, the stronger side will always volunteer more effort or workload.  This will cause muscle imbalances that could lead to skeletal imbalances.

For runners in particular, running the same route frequently could lead to muscular and skeletal imbalances because of the surface you run on.

Running on the shoulder of the road down your favorite route can become problematic if the shoulder is crowned.  This slope in the road can cause one leg to become shorter than the other because of the variation in distance to the ground from the hip to the foot on the left leg versus the right leg.

The remedy would be to vary your route often and utilize the strength and flexibility programs available from LoseTheKneePain.com.

Once this leg length difference has been discovered, before you think about adding a lift to your shoe you need to be certain the difference is a result of the bones being longer on one side and not the muscles being shorter.

You’ll have some idea if it’s a muscle problem and not a bone length problem when you train for flexibility.  More tightness on the short side is an indication this may very well be a flexibility issue.

In addition to a proper flexibility and strength training program and frequently changing your running route, consider an over the counter shoe insert.  Try a few pairs out and see if they make a difference.

Finally, be very proactive with your physician and let him/her know you’re not looking for a quick fix, but the cause of the pain.  Don’t fall into the trap of prescriptions for pills or braces before the body is thoroughly looked at for all possible sources of malfunction.

You can bet you’ll be much better off when you stress less, engage more and move your body.  Sign up and become a member of LoseTheKneePain.com and get your free starter guide to workouts that deal with knee pain at it’s roots.

Try the workouts and leave me a comment below.  Let me know how the program’s working for you.

Be vigilant,

Rochelle Gravance

Thanks for checking in.  I’ll make this short and sweet.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this journey with you.

This is often the time of year for reflection.  So as you enjoy your season, remember how fortunate you are.  We all have gifts to offer that can’t be bought or sold and yet they remain priceless.

One of the biggest challenges can often be to realize, appreciate and accept your own gifts so that you may offer them without hesitation each day.

Search out your offerings and give them away often.  This is always the most meaningful of gifts one can give and  receive.

Realizing, appreciating and accepting your gifts…that’s a gift in itself.

Have a great holiday.

Rochelle Gravance

Ready for some really cool info?  Thanks for being with me.

As I’m constantly studying the body I begin to realize things that seem to make perfect since.  Well, I had a “Duh!” moment the other day that turned into a “Duh!” realization.

I wanted to share the story with you because I know it will help shed some light on things that maybe aren’t talked about as much as they should be.

Setting the stage:

My first love is being in the great outdoors.  Nothing brings me as much joy as the opportunity to become part of the great food chain of Nature Itself.  Not in the sense of doing battle with it in the attempt to conquer or prove myself.  Just in the simplest form of being in It’s inter-workings, playing by It’s rules and finding my place there.

And because I can get myself in some pretty rough country, I’ve always searched for the very best foot apparel I could get my hands on and feet in.

These expensive “casts” we call hiking boots, are made to help us protect our feet and ankles from potential injury.  Makes sense, right?  I’m not so sure.

What did the indigenous peoples wear on their feet as they trekked around in rough terrain?  I can guarantee it wasn’t anything close to what I put on my feet to tread the same country.  So then, why should I?

Granted, our feet aren’t nearly as strong as the people of centuries past.  But, what if besides our lack of movement on a daily basis, the choices we make in shoes impacts the inherent actions of our feet?

Case in point:

I’m hiking around in the snow and ice last weekend with my top of the line, expensive, ultra supportive, European made, stiff shanked, guaranteed to last forever or my money back boots, and I find that every time the snow shifts under my feet, my boots want to roll me to the outside of my feet.

I have to struggle to keep the inside of my foot in contact with the ground.  When this happens, since I have less surface area on the bottom of my foot to gain balance with, I can begin to feel my hips and the outside of my knee tightening up. Not such a great thing to have happen when you’re 8 miles away from your vehicle.

So, the rest of the trip I spent placing complete attention on my feet trying to keep them in contact with the ground.  As I did, I felt my ankles, knees, hips and low back loosen up again.

Interesting stuff.

Now, I already have a pair of Nike Free shoes which I like much better than any athletic shoe I’ve ever owned.  No endorsements here.  You gotta try them out for yourself.

These shoes are designed to reduce the influence the shoe has on the foot to allow the foot to operate more freely.

I wanted to go a step further though.  For me, and most individuals without severe foot problems, my philosophy and intuition says barefoot is the way to go.  But, I’m just a little hesitant to injure a foot on sharp objects out in the woods.

So I just ordered a pair of the Five Finger KSO Trek shoes.  They won’t be here until the end of January and I can’t wait to put them through their paces.

I can tell you right now, my feet will be much stronger after having these on my feet for a few months.  And, I plan to use them exclusively as my hiking shoes as long as I don’t get frost bite.

My knees will love me for it.  Remember, stronger feet and ankles make happier knees.

You should always check with your doctor first if you have had foot issues in the past.  But, if you have knee pain and your feet haven’t been diagnosed as a problem, I encourage you to try out a few different pair of the newer shoes on the market that help your feet find the ground with less inhibition.

If you already have a pair of any of these new shoe hybrids, chime in and let me know how you like them.  Leave me your story in the comments section below.

Thanks for tuning in…..

Hey Happy Solstice!

This has to be my favorite holiday.  It’s the dead of the winter.  It’s quiet and the solitude you can find in once busy places can manage to stir innate emotions and instincts.

If you can slow your often clustered and burdened mind and thoughts enough, some of these native thoughts and emotions may have the chance to surface.

I love it when this happens.  It reminds me of what IS really important in this life.  What my purpose is on this journey.

So, what’s my purpose?

I believe it to be a translator and reminder of that which is necessary and crucial to those who may have lost the ability to relate to ones self on the most basic of levels.

I choose to do it in a way that places the emphasis on the body and how we have come to know it.

Some may chose to see a therapist or minister or counselor to help them understand life and how they see it through their own eyes.

I help you understand the messages your body sends you so that you can give it what it needs inherently.  Instead of putting a band aid on pain, I like to find where it’s coming from so that together, we can help the body heal itself.

You can bet I’ll do my very best to give you every bit of information that’ll help you achieve a sound body and a better understanding of how to live in it.

Have a great holiday season as we look forward to a pain free 2010.

Rochelle

PS- It’s an honor for me to be on this journey with you, so thank you.

What’s your purpose in this life?  I want to hear about it.  Leave me your incredible life’s story below.